Welcome to Fantasy Alarm's MLB DFS picks and daily fantasy playbook for Wednesday, May 20th. Our MLB DFS projections combine advanced pitching metrics, platoon splits, strikeout prop data, and ownership positioning to identify the sharpest plays on every slate. Whether you are targeting DFS projections, running lineups through our DFS optimizer, tracking ownership trends, or checking confirmed lineups, Fantasy Alarm has the tools to sharpen your edge. Today's early slate gives us 6 games with some fun choices with some young arms like Emerson Hancock and Jack Leiter along with some veteran pitchers like Joe Ryan and Aaron Nola. Plenty of options for an early slate and this MLB DFS playbook covers every key position on DraftKings and FanDuel with our best MLB DFS picks for today.

Slate: 6-Game Early  |  Lock Time: 12:05 PM ET, Wednesday May 20, 2026

Vegas Totals: CIN/PHI (highest-projected game), TEX/COL (second-highest), BAL/TB (third-highest)

Highest K-Projections: Joe Ryan 6.5 O/U (+110), Emerson Hancock 5.5 O/U (-129), Jack Leiter 5.5 O/U (-121), Sean Burke 5.5 O/U (+124) 

MLB Weather Today, 5/20

TEX/COL - There is some rain expected this afternoon but it doesn't appear to be enough to cause any major problems. 

MLB DFS Lineup Picks: Starting Pitchers

MLB DFS Top Pitchers

Joe Ryan (MIN)

Analysis: Joe Ryan continues to be consistent and the ace for Minnesota. He just went 6 innings against a good Milwaukee team striking out 7 batters and only giving up one run. Getting to face a struggling Houston team he should put up a really good line today. 

Emerson Hancock (SEA)

Analysis: While I don’t believe that Hancock can sustain this level of strikeout rate the fact is he continues to produce great results. The White Sox are certainly becoming a tougher team to face but not one you run away from yet, especially in Seattle. 

MLB DFS Value Pitchers

Merrill Kelly (ARI)

Analysis: Now Merrill Kelly doesn’t give you the strikeout upside of some other pitchers today, but he has gone 7 and 9 innings in his last two outings and at this price you don’t need a ton of strikeouts for him to return value if he can continue to go deep into games. 

Sean Burke (CWS)

Analysis: Sean Burke actually does have some strikeout upside and he gets to face the Mariners in Seattle which is always a decent place to be and as the second cheapest pitcher on the slate it should be really easy for him to return value today. 

Top Options For Strikeouts

There are some really low strikeout guys on today’s slate with pitchers like Andrew Abbott and Merrill Kelly, but we still have three pitchers with over 25% strikeout rates. Tyler Mahle isn’t far behind with a 23.3% strikeout rate. You could get someone like Sean Burke to spike some strikeouts against Seattle today as well, but these guys are your most favorable for high strikeout ceilings in today’s early slate. 

Our model identifies these arms as the highest-ceiling plays for Alt-K lines today:

Emerson Hancock: 27.1 K% (9.4 K/9) 

Jack Leiter: 25.7 K% (10.0 K/9)

Joe Ryan: 25.6 K% (9.2 K/9)

Tyler Mahle: 23.3 K% (9.3 K/9)

Best Odds For A Win

The following MLB DFS picks offer the best chance of snagging a win today giving you a chance for them to both go deep into the game, stack up some Ks, as well as get those extra points for that win. 

MLB DFS Lineup Picks: Stacks & Hitters

MLB DFS Top Hitters

Yandy Diaz (1B/3B, TB)

Analysis: Junior Caminero may be the star of the Rays offense but Yandy is still the heart of it. Batting over .300 with some power to go with it, he doesn’t strikeout and just produces night in and night out. 

With Diaz out I would pivot to Aranda! 

Junior Caminero (3B, TB)

Analysis: Yes, I want the star of the Rays offense as well. Give me both of these Rays at the corners I would probably add Aranda in here as well if you could play all three, but since you can’t give me the Diaz/Caminero duo. 

Elly De La Cruz (SS, CIN)

Analysis: Elly is red hot and Nola has been struggling. I don’t know if I need to convince you much more than that. If you can afford to pay up at SS (which I think you can with the cheaper options elsewhere) you should probably do it. 

Corbin Carroll (OF, ARI)

Analysis: Tyler Mahle has been getting hit around like crazy and Corbin Carroll is slashing .368/.500/.763 in his last 11 games. Of all the top options in the outfield today Carroll is easily the one I want the most. 

MLB DFS Value Hitters

Colt Emerson (3B, SEA)

Analysis: He got his first hit and homer the other day and there should be more to come. If you aren’t taking the cheap option of Burke I don’t mind taking a shot on the cheap young kid here.

Willy Adames (SS, SF)

Analysis: We knew the slow start wasn’t going to last forever and Adames is finally starting to turn things around. He is batting over .400 in his last 10 games and should be able to continue to find more success.

Chandler Simpson (OF, TB)

Analysis: You are never going to get the huge score game from Simpson because he can’t give you any homers, but that won’t keep him from still producing consistently solid scores because of his ability to get on base and steal bags. He is a great one to stack with some of those other Rays that do have the power upside. 

MLB DFS Top Stacks

Primary Stack: Tampa Bay Rays vs Shane Baz (BAL RHP)

Why: The Rays just continue to produce as a solid deep lineup. You get top bats in guys like Yandy Diaz and Junior Caminero but then can also sprinkle in cheaper bats for a deep stack that can score you a lot of points and Shane Baz has been struggling lately. 

Primary Stack: Arizona Diamondbacks vs Tyler Mahle (SF RHP)

Why: Tyler Mahle gave up 10 hits in his last outing against the Athletics and has had a few rough outings already this season and the Diamondbacks have plenty of great bats that could punish him today. 

"Contrarian" Stack: Cincinnati Reds vs Aaron Nola (PHI RHP)

Why: I don’t think a lot of people will think to attack Aaron Nola, but Aaron Nola has just not been himself so far this season and the Reds have a solid offense. 

MLB DFS Lineups: Core MLB DFS Hitters & Pitchers

The "Chalk" (Popular)

The "Pivot" (Low

Owned)

The Winning Logic
Ryan (SP, chalk)Burke (SP, lower owned)Burke still brings some strikeout upside and gets to pitch in Seattle and saves you tons of money compared to a Joe Ryan chalk
TEX as primary stackTB + CIN as contrarian stacksI am okay with fading Coors today. People will be going for Texas against Freeland, but I would rather take teams like the Rays or Reds today. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The foundation for every MLB DFS lineup you build today. These are the core MLB DFS picks by position across DraftKings and FanDuel.

  1. Emerson Hancock (SP1)
  2. Sean Burke (SP2)
  3. Yandy Diaz (Core Bat)
  4. Junior Caminero (Core Bat)
  5. Elly De La Cruz (Core Bat)
  6. Willy Adames (Core Value Bat)
  7. Chandler Simpson (Core Value Bat)

Player Pool

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Stacks

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